It hasn’t been a great week for the Duke Blue Devils.
Former head coach Mike Elko left Duke earlier this week to take the head coaching position at Texas A&M, and now it seems that Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard will not be returning to Durham next season, as he has reportedly entered the transfer portal.
Despite being in the portal, however, Leonard has a “do not contact” tag next to his name for the time being, according to college football writer Matt Fortuna.
Source: Duke QB Riley Leonard is officially in the transfer portal with a "do not contact" tag.
Keep an eye on Notre Dame with this one.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 29, 2023
Leonard posted a lengthy goodbye to Duke and their fans on Instagram Wednesday afternoon, which Fortuna also shared.
Riley Leonard with a lengthy goodbye to Duke on Instagram: https://t.co/Mz584FKo2o pic.twitter.com/vJWWiVH1p5
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 29, 2023
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 29, 2023
As Fortuna notes, Notre Dame would be a great fit for Leonard. Graduate transfer Sam Hartman will graduate in the spring, leaving the quarterback position wide open for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.
Leonard spent three seasons at Duke but was primarily a backup in 2021. 2022 saw a breakout for Leonard, though. He went 250-for-392 for 20 touchdowns, tying him for the fourth-most in one season by a Duke quarterback. Leonard’s strong season was capped off by being named the MVP of the 2022 Military Bowl when he rushed for a pair of touchdowns en route to a 30-13 Blue Devil win.
Leonard played just six games in 2023 after missing time first with an ankle injury and later a toe injury.
